Visual path following by recursive spline updating

In this paper we address the problem of tracking an unknown contour by commanding the translational and rotational velocities of a nonholonomic vehicle moving on a plane. A TV camera provides measurements of the distance of the contour from the x-axis of the moving frame (fixed with the vehicle). We discuss an online path planning control strategy which leads the vehicle to land softly at a desired point ahead on the unknown curve and to stay on the curve once it has been reached. This strategy could be seen as an explicit model-based predictive control scheme